Joshua Smith, Japanese Sideboard (Student)

My project that I constructed is an Asian style sideboard that was influenced by a Japanese style of art called Ukiyo e and was made as an Industrial Technology Timber HSC major project. I intended for this project to have a large amount of space because I was lacking storage space in my room. I would be able to store clothing in the drawers and on the shelves. Majority of the project was made using Tasmanian Blackwood which looked very nice and was easy to work with. Ukiyo e means floating world and was why I designed the floating top that sits above the legs and rails of my project. This feature took a lot of planning and designing but once finished looked extremely nice. I included a range of intricate features within my design that were incorporated to test my woodworking skills and show off to the markers. I created Inlaid Dovetails with the Leigh D4R jig which took a lot of time to workout and calibrate as this joint had not been attempted at my school before. These dovetails were extremely aesthetically pleasing and myself and my teacher were very happy with the end result. Through the designing of my major project I was also influenced by particular furniture makers named Greene and Greene who had their own style and incorporated small timber buttons into their designs as features. I used Ebony to make my buttons which looked very nice and I was very happy with how they all looked once done. My design incorporated a lot of veneering on plywood faces for my doors and side panels which I used Curly Maple for as it is known for its irregular grain direction and looked very nice contrasting with the Tasmanian Blackwood. These panels not only lowered the cost of my project but also the weight of it which made it easier to move around the workshop.

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